UNITED STATES:BARACK OBAMA and John McCain arrived in Mississippi yesterday for the first of three presidential debates after the Republican, in an 11th-hour reversal, agreed to take part in the event.
Mr McCain had insisted until yesterday afternoon that he would not attend the debate until a consensus had emerged in Washington over a proposed $700 billion rescue package for financial institutions.
Mr Obama was already on board his plane en route to the University of Mississippi for the debate when Mr McCain's campaign ended two days of guessing about the Republican's intentions by announcing that he would also be going.
"Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations," the campaign said.
"The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners."
Earlier, Mr McCain had pleaded with House Republicans to agree a deal and his campaign claimed that the Arizona senator had played a crucially constructive role in the negotiations.
"The difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was apparent during the White House meeting yesterday, where Barack Obama's priority was political posturing in his opening monologue defending the package as it stands," the campaign said.
"John McCain listened to all sides so he could help focus the debate on finding a bipartisan resolution that is in the interest of taxpayers and homeowners. The Democratic interests stood together in opposition to an agreement that would accommodate additional taxpayer protections."
Mr Obama had always insisted that he would go ahead with the debate, arguing that the American people needed to know where the candidates stood on the financial crisis and what measures they favoured for strengthening the economy.
"At this point, my strong sense is that the best thing that I can do, rather than to inject presidential politics into these delicate negotiations, is to go down to Mississippi and explain to the American people what is going on and my vision for leading the country over the next four years," Mr Obama told reporters on board his campaign plane as they prepared to travel to Mississippi.
As the two candidates left for Mississippi, negotiations on the bailout plan continued in Washington and president George Bush urged legislators to "rise to the occasion".
Republican congressmen report that e-mails and phone calls from constituents are running 100 to one against the rescue plan and Mr Bush sought yesterday to appease anxious legislators, acknowledging that they have a right to express their doubts and work through disagreements on the plan.
"There is no disagreement that something substantial must be done," he said.
"The legislative process is sometimes not very pretty. But we are going to get a package passed."
House minority leader John Boehner demanded that "serious consideration" be given to a radically different proposal that provides no government money up front for a financial rescue.
"If such consideration is not given, a large majority of Republicans cannot - and will not - support" the plan, he said in a letter to House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Before Mr McCain's announcement that he would attend last night's debate in Mississippi, New York senator Charles Schumer said Mr Bush could help negotiations in Washington if he would "respectfully tell Senator McCain to get out of town. He is not helping, he is harming."